Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

Study: Many U.S. Hospitals Overuse Antibiotics

Physicians in many U.S. hospitals are overusing combinations of antibiotics to treat infections, resulting in increased medical costs and potentially contributing to antibiotic resistance, according to a study published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. The study found that nearly 80% of the hospitals overused antibiotics by administering potentially unnecessary antibiotic combinations for two or more days.